This invention relates to substituted pyrazoles, pharmaceutical compositions containing them, and their use in the treatment of stress-related and other diseases. The compounds have corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) antagonist activity.
CRF antagonists are mentioned in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,605,642 and 5,063,245 referring to peptides and pyrazolinones, respectively. The importance of CRF antagonists is set out in the literature, e.g. as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,245, which is incorporated herein by reference. A recent outline of the different activities possessed by CRF antagonists is found in M. J. Owens et al., Pharm. Rev., Vol. 43, pages 425 to 473 (1991), also incorporated herein by reference. Based on the research described in these two and other references, CRF antagonists are considered effective in the treatment of a wide range of stress-related illnesses, such as stress-induced depression, anxiety, headache, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory diseases, immune suppression, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections, Alzheimer's disease, gastrointestinal diseases, anorexia nervosa, hemorrhagic stress, drug and alcohol withdrawal symptoms, drug addiction, and fertility problems.